Bronze breakthrough: Seema Kumari’s 10k run lifts India’s Asian Games hopes

In a tightly contested women's 10,000‑metre final at the Mizuhō Park Athletic Stadium, Nagoya, Seema Kumari delivered a performance that revived India’s medal hopes at the Asian Games 2026. Clocking 32:50.05, Kumari claimed bronze, concluding a 16‑year gap since an Indian athlete last stood on the podium in this event.

The race unfolded with Kumari taking an aggressive early lead, recording a 1,000‑metre split of 3:18.12 and crossing 2,000 m in 6:36.13. Despite being overtaken and slipping to fourth place mid‑race, she remained within the leading pack. The final 1,000 metres saw her surge back, clinching third place just ahead of Kazakhstan’s Dazhi Jepkemei (33:03.21) and finishing 10.87 seconds behind Bahrain’s champion Winfred Yavi.

Gold went to Yavi in 32:39.18, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka secured silver with 32:41.54. Kumari now becomes the third Indian woman to medal in the 10,000 m at the Asian Games, following Preeja Sreedharan’s gold and Kavita Raut’s silver in 2010.

Born in Himachal Pradesh on 10 January 2001, Kumari has specialised in the 5,000 m and 10,000 m distances. Earlier in 2026 she posted a personal best of 32:02.43 in the “The Ten” event in California, finishing fifth against a strong international field, and improved her 5,000 m time to 15:16.20 in April. Her previous achievements include a silver at the 2025 FISU World University Games (5,000 m), a gold at the 2024 Asian Cross‑Country Championships (senior women), and a national title in the 10,000 m at the 65th National Inter‑State Senior Athletics Championship.